Australia Provisional Squad For ODI World Cup 2023: Cummins To Lead; Hardie, Sangha Included

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Australia on Monday (August 7) named an extended 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match series in South Africa in September followed by the three-match series in India and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in October-November.

The 18-member squad will be later trimmed down to 15 for the ODI World Cup as Australia add uncapped leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha and all-rounder Aaron Hardie into the mix for the 50-over format.

The squad will be led by Pat Cummins, who is set to miss the T20I series in South Africa due to a fractured wrist that will keep him sidelined for six weeks, but he is expected to join the ODI squad in South Africa in time for India, where Australia play a series in late September ahead of the World Cup.

Marnus Labuschagne is notable absentee in the provisional squad, while Glenn Maxwell, who is part of the squad, will miss the ODI leg of the South Africa tour with the 34-year-old expecting the arrival of his first child, and will join the squad in India.

Veteran David Warner and Travis Head look set to form a left-handed opening combination for Australia, with Steve Smith and Maxwell set to take the other top order slots. Alex Carey and Josh Inglis are the wicketkeeping options.

Pacer Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott are also part of the squad, and so are Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who make up the pace bowling options along with skipper Cummins.

Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar and Sangha are the spin bowling options, while Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green and newly named T20I captain Mitchell Marsh will be the seam-bowling all-rounder options for Australia.

Australia will play a five-match series in South Africa, with the matches scheduled to take place in Bloemfontein, Potchefstroom, Centurion and Johannesburg from September 7 to 17.

The tour to South Africa will be followed by the trip to India where Cummis-led side is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series between September 22 and 27 with games in Mohali, Indore and Rajkot.

Australia Squad for ICC ODI World Cup 2023, South Africa tour and India series

Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.